The Association of Ringside Physicians on Monday released a
consensus
statement advocating the “general elimination” of therapeutic
use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy in combat
sports.

The ARP is an “international, non-profit organization dedicated to
the health and safety of the boxer and mixed martial arts athlete.”
The full statement is as follows:

The incidence of hypogonadism requiring the use of testosterone
replacement therapy (TRT) in professional athletes is
extraordinarily rare. Accordingly, the use of an anabolic steroid
such as testosterone in a professional boxer or mixed martial
artist is rarely justified. Steroid use of any type, including
unmerited testosterone, significantly increases the safety and
health risk to combat sports athletes and their opponents. TRT in a
combat sports athlete may also create an unfair advantage
contradictory to the integrity of sport. Consequently, the
Association of Ringside Physicians supports the general elimination
of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement
therapy.

TRT allows professional fighters to receive synthetic testosterone
if they have a testosterone deficiency. To receive a TUE before a
fight they must provide medical proof to the appropriate athletic
commission that the treatment is necessary.

TRT in mixed martial arts has been a controversial issue for a
number of years, but in 2013 debate over its use reached a fervor.
At the forefront of the conversation has been middleweight No. 1
contender Vitor Belfort,
who received TUEs for his three fights last year and scored
devastating knockouts over Michael
Bisping, Luke
Rockhold and Dan Henderson.
All three of those fights took place in Brazil. Belfort received
the exemptions despite testing positive for the anabolic steroid
4-hydroxytestosterone in 2006.

Belfort is expected to challenge Chris
Weidman for the 185-pound belt sometime in the late spring or
early summer, although no date for the bout has been officially
announced. This time, however, the fight will take place in Las
Vegas instead of Brazil. “The Phenom” recently told UFC Tonight
that he planned to apply for an exemption prior to facing
Weidman.

Of course, Belfort is far from the only prominent fighter to seek a
TUE, as Henderson, Chael Sonnen,
Frank
Mir, Ben Rothwell,
Antonio
Silva and Lavar Johnson
all fought on the treatment in 2013. Forrest
Griffin and Quinton
Jackson have also received TUEs in the past. However, Silva and
Rothwell were flagged for elevated levels of testosterone after
their bouts, as was Johnson, who actually did not receive an
exemption from the California State Athletic Commission prior to
competing at UFC 157.

A representative from the UFC declined to comment on the ARP
statement when reached by Sherdog.com on Monday afternoon. However,
UFC President Dana White
spoke to the Associated Press regarding the matter.

“The doctors came out and said they want to ban it? Well, that’s
the answer,” White said. “It’s legal in the sport. The commissions
let you do it. You get an exemption, and you have to be monitored
and all the stuff that’s going on, but if they’re going to do away
with it? There you go. It’s a problem solved.”

Editor's note: This item was updated at 6:37 p.m. PT to include
a quote from Dana White.